Creative, Participatory Methods for to Support the Data Collection, Dissemination, and Implementation of Equity-Focused Health Promotion Interventions
A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 3
Special Issue Editors
Interests: participatory implementation science; health equity; community-based organizations; practice-based evidence; cancer; mental health
Interests: health equity; maternal and family health; food and nutrition; environmental health; health policy; community-engaged research; public health workforce; visual arts
Interests: qualitative re search; health equity; community health; community-engaged research; health care quality and safety; patient-centered health services; equitable healthcare access; qualitative, community-engaged research
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Bridging the gap between research evidence and public health practice to address health inequities remains a persistent challenge, and opportunities to center practice-based expertise remain limited. Despite advances in implementation science, knowledge translation, and related fields, the sheer complexity of the systems in which innovations must be implemented make standard methods for collecting data and disseminating and implementing solutions insufficient. Creative, participatory research methods, including co-design, arts-based approaches, etc., have emerged as powerful tools to engage diverse constituents and improve the flow of knowledge between academic, practice, policy, and community settings [1]. Such approaches may hold particular promise for advancing health equity and addressing structural drivers of (ill)health [2]. However, the rigorous application, evaluation, and reporting of creative methods within implementation science remain underdeveloped, and there is insufficient recognition of innovative, creative approaches developed by, with, and for the groups most affected by health inequities.
Grounded in equity-focused health promotion, this Special Issue will advance the theory and practice of participatory, creative methods in public health, elevate rigorous creative methods with the potential to advance health equity, and provide practical guidance to researchers looking to expand their methodological toolkit. We invite original research articles, methodological papers, case studies, and reviews that focus on the development, application, and/or critical assessment of creative approaches in this context. We welcome contributions grounded in experience with both real-world applications of creative methods and conducting creative, participatory research in diverse settings.
Submissions should highlight ways in which these methods enhance the translation of knowledge into practice or policy and advance health equity. Priority will be given to papers co-written by partners from community, practice, and other settings beyond academia. We welcome appendices that provide detail regarding the application of creative methods, e.g., visual notetaking summaries, artistic products generated, etc. Contributions from varied disciplines are welcome.
Exemplar topics are provided below:
- Application of human-centered design or co-design;
- Utilization of arts-based, embodied, and other creative approaches;
- Use of technology-supported creative methods to increase inclusion or spread of knowledge (e.g., virtual co-design, digital storytelling);
- Papers/reports capturing the impact and effectiveness of creative or participatory approaches;
- Community-specific techniques for creative, participatory methods;
- Ethical, practical, or theoretical considerations.
We look forward to receiving manuscripts that help to shape the future of implementation science and knowledge translation by developing creative, participatory methodologies that will help us to achieve our goals of improved public health and greater health equity.
References
1. Kara H, Lemon N, Mannay D, McPherson M. Creative research methods in education: Principles and practices. In Creative Research Methods in Educatio;. Policy Press: Bristol, UK, 2021. Available online: https://bristoluniversitypressdigital.com/display/book/9781447357094/9781447357094.xml (accessed on 21 October 2025).
2. Ramanadhan, Shoba, Rosa Alemán, Cory D. Bradley, Jennifer L. Cruz, Nadia Safaeinili, Vanessa Simonds, and Emma-Louise Aveling. Using Participatory Implementation Science to Advance Health Equity. Annu. Rev. Public Health 2024, 45, 47–67. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-060722-024251.
Dr. Shoba Ramanadhan
Prof. Dr. Jessica Owens-Young
Dr. Emma-Louise Aveling
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- implementation science
- knowledge translation
- health equity
- human-centered design
- co-design
- arts-based approaches
- participatory methods
- community engagement
- ata collection
- dissemination
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